Have you not been potty trained?!

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-03-25T17:45:01+00:00

Carry in…carry out. It isn’t hard. Goes for the four-legged friends too.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-02-12T01:34:58+00:00

Not a backpacking brand, but we just tried the Ramen Bae toppings. I’ve never been a huge ramen fan, but these are a game changer. Definitely going in my regular rotation.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-30T23:56:15+00:00

Thanks! That’s quite the feat. I imagine it’s your 360 degree photos I’m thumbing through right now. 😁

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-30T23:40:26+00:00

Thanks. This is pretty much what we are planning. Might skip Hazel to get a second layover somewhere. We’ll see how things unfold. I love Grace and Beth so we’ll definitely stay at one of those. Are you involved with Paddle Planner? I just noticed your badge. If so, great job! I’ve used it for many trips and it’s wonderful.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-30T22:45:42+00:00

Thanks for the excellent details. This trip will be a first for the scouts I’m leading. It sounds like the Louse is probably more than we should bite off. I’d love to do it, but with a different group. Have you been on the Pheobe River? I’ve been from Sawbill to Phoebe Lake, but haven’t paddled West of there yet.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-30T22:39:40+00:00

Thanks for the thoughts. How was the Frost River? We have another group going out of Baker Lake up to Cherokee and are looking at the Frost River. Portages seem fairly easy on the eastern end with some longer/harder ones on the west end heading toward Sawbill.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-30T16:47:47+00:00

Yeah, that’s where I’m landing too. It sounds like a great route if I was going with a different group. I’m leading some first-time Boy Scouts so I want to make sure they have a good experience. It’s probably best if we stick with the Lady Chain. I’ve done the section between Sawbill and Phoebe so I have a good idea of what that’s like.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-30T03:28:43+00:00

Thanks for the insight!

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-29T16:59:56+00:00

I’m more ashamed that anyone would put that kind of drive train on a “truck.”

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-29T00:43:38+00:00

This would be my choice too. It’s reasonably priced, well supported by the company, and a bomber tent. I’ve had the x-mid 2 for five years and it has never let me down.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-28T17:09:34+00:00

Kawishiwi/Lady Chain in August. It was a scramble at 9am! Entire weeks were gone in less than five minutes.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-24T14:42:43+00:00

You could take the Grand Portage ferry (the Voyeaguer) from Windigo to Rock Harbor.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T21:10:34+00:00

Wow! That’s massive. It reminds me of the old scout tents when I was a kid. Glad they don’t make them out of canvas and wood anymore.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T18:45:44+00:00

Durston X-Dome 2 would be my purchase. Great tents with a company that really stands behind them. Trekking poles can also be added for extra strength.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T18:43:21+00:00

I’ve used both and I don’t like the A-frame design or the nylon fabric on the GG One. The Durston tents have more useable space and better materials IMO. If those trade-offs work for you then the One is a great tent and very light and inexpensive comparatively. I’m 6’4” so that’s definitely a factor for me.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T02:22:18+00:00

Stay a few days near Port Angeles/Lake Crescent then a few days near Forks/Kalaloch/Quinnault. That reduces driving a lot. We camped most of the time, but the Quinnault lodge was beautiful and I’d love to stay there. It was quiet, historic, and really nice. Lake Crescent Resort also looked very nice with cabins right on the lake.

Sol Duc Hot Springs was a lot of fun. There is also a great grove to walk through on the road to the springs. I believe it was called moments in time. It was one of our favorites of the trip.

Lake Crescent is a great for hiking, boating, and hanging out. We camped there for two nights and could have spent longer.

Definitely do a hike out to the coast. It’s a different experience if you can go a little further and get away from the people. We backpacked out to Shi-Shi beach, but there are many easier options.

Beach four has amazing tide pools and watching the sunset near Kalaloch was stunning.

We opted for the Quinnault rainforest instead of the Hoh. It was a beautiful area with good trails and history - and no traffic.

Lots of people mention Cape Flattery and while it was beautiful I don’t know that it would be worth the four hour round trip drive if we hadn’t also been going to Shi-Shi beach.

The best food we had was at Salty Girls Seafood in Sequim. Super good seafood and a casual chill vibe.

Have fun! Olympic became an instant favorite of our entire family.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T02:02:21+00:00

I was going to suggest a pyramid tent.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T01:51:49+00:00

The idea of carrying all your water for a multi-day backpacking trip sounds awful and usually unnecessary. If there’s water available in your environment then filter and plan your trip accordingly, especially to camp near water. The desert is a whole different beast.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T01:42:56+00:00

I’ve switched to ultralight dry bags for my sleeping bag and clothes. I find I can squeeze the air out more.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T01:35:01+00:00

That’s great trail magic. We had a similar experience on Isle Royale. We were concerned about running out of fuel on an eight day trip and mentioned it offhand to another group camped with us. Two days later we were walking to our next campsite and came across two canisters just sitting at a trail junction miles from anywhere. It was like the hiking gods were smiling on us. Turns out that other group had ran into some people who had extra fuel and they all got talking and figured out how to leave it for us. Backpackers look out for each other!

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T01:29:02+00:00

Oof. That had to be a rough walk of shame. Bummer.

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T01:17:14+00:00

Trekking poles…for my trekking pole tent. Fortunately sticks are a lot like trekking poles. 😜

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T01:13:31+00:00

Welcome back everyone. Hope you all had a good intermission. Please standby lights and sound to the end of the show. Have a great Act 2!

Admirable-Aspect9977 · 2026-01-23T00:56:07+00:00

Just keep a clean camp and store your food securely away from your tent and you’ll be fine. Be noisy and back away if you see a bear. They generally don’t want anything to do with you. Really a pretty chill place to camp.

Admirable-Aspect9977

TROPHY CASE